Fire crews fighting blaze in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Fire crews in St. Louis have been fighting a five-alarm industrial fire in St. Louis.

The fire at Chemisphere Corp., a solvent distributor, was reported early Monday, and was under control by about 6 a.m. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that an explosion injured three firefighters inside the plant. Capt. Dan Sutter said the firefighters were taken to a hospital but their injuries were not life threatening,

The fire also forced the closure of Interstate 44 in the area, and nearly 500 residents in the surrounding blocks were ordered to evacuate.

Sutter couldn’t say how much of the plant, which is on an 8-acre site, was engulfed in flames.